This invention relates generally to toy skateboards and particularly to accessory stunt performing apparatus usable in conjunction therewith.
In resent years, a toy trend has emerged which is directed toward wide spread use of miniaturized toys and toy items. In accordance with this trend, practitioner""s have provided miniature cars, trucks, motorcycles, scooter""s, and sport apparatus such as skateboards or the like. Such miniatures are often highly detailed and precise in their replication of the corresponding full size device. Consumer""s have found such highly detailed and precise miniature toys to be attractive and popular for both use as play items and for accumulating as collectibles.
One of the more unusual miniature toy items to emerge in great popularity in resent years is found in miniature versions of skateboards. Such miniature version skateboards are generally referred to as xe2x80x9cfingerboardsxe2x80x9d due to the manner in which the child user plays with the miniature skateboard. In a typical play pattern, the user places a single finger or pair of fingers upon the upper surface of the fingerboard and rolls the fingerboard across various surfaces. In addition, the user""s become extremely adapt at exercising various maneuvers such as jumps or spins through a manipulation of the pressure upon and force exerted against the upper surface of the fingerboard. Notsurprisingly, serious fingerboard enthusiast endeavor to mimic conventional skateboard sport and play patterns such as competitive events, stunts, tricks or the like. To perform such stunts, tricks or competitive events, practitioner""s attempt to utilize apparatus which closely resembles or mimics the standard apparatus used by skateboarder""s. Such stand skateboard trick and competition apparatus has been provided in a variety of shapes and configurations. For example, U.S. Pat. Des. No. 256,488 issued to Firestone sets forth a SKATEBOARD RAMP having a generally curved upwardly facing semi-cylindrical frame structure supported by a plurality of support legs. A smooth curved cylindrical surface is supported upon the interior of the supporting frame.
U.S. Pat. Des. No. 258,459 issued to Firestone sets forth a SKATEBOARD RAMP BOWL having a frame structure supporting an upwardly open curved recess having curved closed ends formed therein. An interior surface supported by the structure forms an upwardly open continuously curved surface suitable for use by skateboarder""s.
U.S. Pat. Des. No. 258,460 issued to Firestone sets forth a TRAILABLE SKATEBOARD RAMP having a curved skateboard ramp structure joined to and supportable by a trailer. The support structure includes downwardly extending support legs which allow fixation of the ramp structure without removal from the supporting trailer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,129,916 issued to Schlesinger et al sets forth an ADJUSTABLE SKATEBOARD RAMP having a support frame defining a horizontal portion and a vertical portion each of which includes extending outer members joined to form an approximate right angle. A curved ramp surface is secured to the extending members and defines a curvature in accordance with the relative extensions of the horizontal and vertical supports.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,285,514 issued to Romero sets forth a RAMP DEVICE FOR PRACTICING WHEELED SPORTS having a pair of generally planar ramp members commonly joined at a hinged junction and pivotable relative to each other to form a peak or two-sided ramp. Each of the hinged ramp portions is supported by a collapsible support structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,524,310 issued to Farnen sets forth a MODULAR HALFPIPE SKATEBOARD RAMP AND METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING having a collapsible ramp structure supporting a curved ramp surface formed in a modular manner to facilitate assembly of more complex ramp combinations.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,599,235 issued to Lynberg sets forth a COLLAPSIBLE SKATE RAMP utilized in providing lift for in-line skater""s, skateboarder""s and cyclist""s. The lateral sections of the ramp are attached in a manner which facilitates easy assembly of the ramp structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,749,615 issued to Itson sets forth a CYCLING AND SKATING RAMP TRAILER having a pair of trailers each supporting a collapsible ramp structure and each towable by a powered vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,232,423 issued to Hajduczek sets forth an EXERCISE APPARATUS having a concaved track forming a circular segment and having a predetermined radius. A platform is movable upon the track and is configured to allow the primary axis of a user""s body standing upon the movable platform to remain in a generally upright position as the user slides back and forth upon the track.
In a second area of the prior art generally related to the collapsible aspect of the present invention, practitioner""s in the art have provided a variety of toys configurable between a container package and a useful toy. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,927,397 issued to Wilson sets forth a KNOCK DOWN ANIMAL TOY having a generally cylindrical housing and a pair of circular end caps fittable thereon. A plurality of animal appendages and body components such as head, legs and a tail are alternately securable to the cylindrical body to form a toy animal or stored within the cylindrical body.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,018,583 issued to Novoteny sets forth a TOY used in combination with a conventional beverage can. A beverage can defining a generally cylindrical shape is used to support a pair of circular end caps on each end thereof. The end caps define various apertures to which a plurality of body components and appendages such as the head, legs and tail of a horse may be secured to form a figure.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,144,751 issued to Brown sets forth a FIGURE TOY CONTAINER having a generally cylindrical body supported by a plurality of removably attached appendages. In one configuration the appendages are secured to the cylindrical body to provide a fanciful human-like figure while in a storage configuration certain appendage elements are removed from attachment to the cylindrical body and stored therein. In an alternate embodiment, a similar figure forming a four-legged animal is shown.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,660,926 issued to Lerner et al and U.S. Pat. No. 3,195,265 issued to Marquez et al set forth examples of toys formed from cylindrical elements.
U.S. Pat. No. 318,025 issued to Pusey sets forth an ARTIFICIAL COASTING OR SLEDDING COARSE having a pair of support towers on each end of a curved ramp operable to allow user""s to slide across the ramp from tower to tower.
While the foregoing described prior art devices have to some extent improved the art and in some instances enjoyed commercial success, there remains nonetheless a continuing need in the art for ever more improved interesting and amusing toy apparatus.
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved toy apparatus. It is more particular object of the present invention to provide an improved toy apparatus suitable for use in combination with a fingerboard or other similar apparatus such as a skating doll or the like to perform various simulated stunts and play activities.
In accordance with the present invention there is provided a roll-up halfpipe for miniature toy skateboard, the halfpipe comprising; a pair of sideframes each alternatively configurable in an open configuration and a collapsed configuration; a pair of platforms each having opposed ends and each being attachable to the side frames in the open configuration to support the side frames in a generally parallel relationship; a planar sheet having opposed end edges and side edges, the planar sheet being formed of a resilient material and constructed to be alternatively rolled into a generally cylindrical closed configuration and an open configuration defining an upwardly open cylindrical ramp; and a pair of endcaps receivable upon the planar sheet in the generally cylindrical closed configuration, the pair of sideframes, when in the open configuration, being constructed to cooperate with the pair of platforms to support the planar sheet in the cylindrical ramp configuration and the pair of platforms and the pair of sideframes, when in the collapsed configuration, being enclosed within the planar sheet in the closed configuration and the endcaps.